The first time you hold your little bundle of joy in your arms is one of the most beautiful experiences you will ever have. Once you have your infant in your arms, you will find yourself examining every detail of their face, savouring their scent, and comforting them with your words and love.
Even though all of these actions may come easily to you, they are crucial for forging a bond with your newborn after birth. You should keep a lot of skin-to-skin contact with the infant during this period as it can help with bonding and support breastfeeding for mothers. Experts from Cetaphil discuss the value of skin-to-skin touch and how it can strengthen relationships.
Skin-to-skin contact in a nutshell
Skin-to-skin contact is the practice of drying and placing a baby directly on the mother’s naked chest after birth, when both are wrapped in a warm blanket and left for at least an hour, or until after the first feed. Skin-to-skin contact can benefit babies for months after birth. Some experts also advise waiting three months for full-term newborns and six months for preterm babies. So, cuddle up with your newborn child and relish the pleasure of becoming a parent.
The link between bonding and skin-to-skin contact
Skin-to-skin contact not only helps keep the baby warm but is also the best way to bond with your newborn child. It has a direct influence on the mother-infant relationship. In addition, giving your baby a nice soothing massage is essential, the massage should always be about bonding, loving, and respecting your child. Furthermore, doing their skincare after a bath and allocating a certain time to do so will allow you to focus on your baby amid all the hustle and bustle, as well as soothe the baby. Cetaphil Baby Daily Lotion, formulated with calming organic calendula and natural oils, is a gentle baby lotion that will soothe and nourish your baby’s skin all day long. Bonding also aids your baby’s mental and physical development. Touching, cuddling, talking, singing, and staring into each other’s eyes, for example, can cause your newborn’s brain to produce hormones. These hormones contribute to your baby’s overall brain development.
Benefits of skin-to-skin contact
Aside from bonding, skin-to-skin contact provides several other advantages for both the mother and the baby. Here are some of the advantages:
Calms and relaxes mother and baby: it stimulates oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone,” to be released in the mother
It aids in the contraction of the uterus, which lowers bleeding, as well as warms the mother’s body,
Regulates the baby’s heart rate, breathing, and body temperature, allowing them to better adapt to life outside the womb
Stimulates digestion and interest in feeding
Benefits of skin-to-skin contact for fathers
Skin-to-skin contact’s benefits are not just limited to mothers. The benefits of skin-to-skin contact for fathers include bonding with their infant, feeling more confident as a father, and experiencing a rush of protectiveness towards their kid. Dads can provide the same benefits as mothers in terms of regulating their baby’s temperature and heartbeat while also developing an emotional bond with their child.